AGP to expand at the Port of Grays Harbor

After a record year of soybean meal exports, the Port of Grays Harbor’s largest shipper, Ag Processing Inc. (AGP) has announced plans to expand their agriculture product export facility at Washington State’s on deep-water port of the Pacific Coast. Expansion will include construction of on-site storage silos and infrastructure to increase unloading capacity at the AGP Terminal 2 facility at the Port of Grays Harbor in Aberdeen, WA.

Over the past year, AGP conducted market analysis and considered preliminary designs for the 13.5 acre expansion. The expanded facility will provide a gateway destination for soybean meal, grains, distillers grains, gluten meal and beet pulp pellets. Detailed engineering has begun and construction is expected to begin this fall with operations slated for early 2012.

“This investment will allow AGP to provide grain, feed ingredients and oilseeds along with out current range of processed products to our customers in Pacific Rim countries,” said Marty Reagan, AGP CEO. “It will also provide our customers a with secure supply of grain and oilseeds directly from AGP’s farm-to-port cooperative supply chain that they value.”

“AGP has been a vital partner in the growth of shipping activity in Grays Harbor and we are thrilled they are increasing their presence on Washington’s Coast,” reported Port Commission President Jack Thompson. “This project will be more than double our vessel calls, creating jobs for our longshore workers, rail operators, tug assists and pilots.”

“AGP initially invested in Grays Harbor nearly 7 years ago and since then AGP has successfully built a strong Pacific Rim customer base due to our employee team, our transportation partners and the Port of Grays Harbor,” reported Cal Meyer, AGP’s Group Vice President of Processing, Refining and Industrial Products. “It is an integral part of our international marketing plan and it has the capability of reaching markets throughout the Pacific Rim in an efficient and cost effective manner.”

AGP, the largest farmer-owned soybean processor in the word, is owned by cooperatives in the Midwest representing over 200,000 farmers from 16 states throughout the United States.

Port officials estimate shipping volumes will more than double due to the expansion, reaching new Pacific Rim markets with commodities shipped through Grays Harbor. Commodities will arrive via unit trains transported by Burlington Northern Santa Fe and RailAmerica’s Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad (PSAP), federal, state and local agencies to expand rail capacity in the region.